AllTheCompressed Mod Guide: Compressed Block Storage for ATM Modpacks
AllTheCompressed adds nine tiers of compressed blocks for 65 different materials, from vanilla Dirt and Cobblestone to modded metals like Allthemodium and Vibranium. Primarily built for All The Mods modpacks, it lets you compact massive quantities of blocks into single-block storage, making large-scale resource management far more practical.
Overview
AllTheCompressed adds 1x through 9x compressed versions of 65 different block types, totaling 585 new blocks. The concept is simple: place nine of any block in a Crafting Table to create the next compression tier, and decompress by placing a single compressed block back in the grid. Each tier multiplies storage density by 9, meaning a single 9x compressed block represents 387,420,489 (9^9) of the original block.
The mod was built specifically for the All The Mods modpack series, where resource accumulation can reach absurd levels. It covers vanilla Minecraft blocks, AllTheOres metals, and the rare materials from All The Mods itself. You can browse every compressed block and recipe using the Items and Recipes tabs above.
Getting Started
- 1
Identify What Needs Compressing
Check your storage system for blocks that have accumulated in massive quantities. Common culprits in ATM modpacks include Cobblestone, Dirt, Sand, Gravel, and Netherrack from quarries and void miners. Modded metals like Osmium, Lead, and Copper also tend to pile up fast.
- 2
Craft Your First Compressed Block
Place nine of any supported block in a Crafting Table (filling all nine slots) to create a 1x Compressed version. For example, nine Cobblestone blocks become one Cobblestone Block 1x. This single block now represents 9 Cobblestone.
- 3
Continue Compressing to Higher Tiers
Nine of any compressed block can be compressed again into the next tier. Nine 1x blocks become one 2x block, nine 2x blocks become one 3x block, and so on up to 9x. Each tier multiplies the storage by another factor of 9.
- 4
Decompress When You Need Materials Back
Place any compressed block alone in the Crafting Table to decompress it into nine of the previous tier. A 3x block becomes nine 2x blocks, a 1x block becomes nine of the original block. You can only decompress one tier at a time.
A single 9x compressed block stores 9^9 = 387,420,489 blocks. A full stack of 64 holds over 24.7 billion. A full Chest of 9x compressed blocks represents roughly 668 billion blocks of a single material.
Compression and Decompression
Supported Blocks
AllTheCompressed covers 65 different block types across four categories. Every block gets all nine compression tiers (1x through 9x), and every tier follows the same 9-in, 1-out crafting pattern.
Vanilla Minecraft Blocks (39 types)
The largest category covers all the blocks you'll commonly accumulate during normal Minecraft gameplay. This includes building materials like Stone, Cobblestone, Andesite, Diorite, Granite, Deepslate, Cobbled Deepslate, Basalt, Blackstone, and End Stone. Earth and terrain blocks include Dirt, Grass, Sand, Red Sand, Gravel, Clay, Snow, Podzol, Soul Sand, Soul Soil, and Netherrack.
Valuable blocks are also covered: Diamond, Emerald, Gold, Iron, Copper, Netherite, Coal, Redstone, Lapis, Quartz, Amethyst, and Glowstone. The selection rounds out with Glass, Obsidian, Hay, Honey, Melon, and Pumpkin blocks.
AllTheOres Metals (17 types)
For players using the AllTheOres mod (standard in ATM packs), compressed versions exist for Aluminum, Bronze, Constantan, Electrum, Enderium, Invar, Lead, Lumium, Nickel, Osmium, Platinum, Signalum, Silver, Steel, Tin, Uranium, and Zinc. These metals tend to accumulate quickly with automated ore processing, making compression essential.
All The Mods Materials (6 types)
The signature ATM materials are supported: Allthemodium, Vibranium, and Unobtainium, along with their alloy blocks UA Alloy, UV Alloy, and VA Alloy. While these are rarer, endgame players farming them will appreciate the compression options.
Special Blocks (3 types)
Three additional block types round out the collection: Nether Star Blocks, Ender Pearl Blocks, and ATM Star Blocks. These cater to players with farms that produce Nether Stars or Ender Pearls in large quantities.
Block Properties
All compressed blocks share the same physical properties regardless of tier or material: a hardness of 7.0 and a blast resistance of 20.0. For reference, vanilla Obsidian has a hardness of 50.0 and blast resistance of 1,200. Compressed blocks are tougher than most standard blocks (Stone has hardness 1.5) but are not explosion-proof.
Blocks that fall in vanilla Minecraft retain that behavior when compressed. Compressed Sand, Red Sand, and Gravel blocks are affected by gravity and will fall if unsupported. The mod also includes a FallingDamageBlock variant that deals falling damage with a multiplier of 1.0 and a maximum damage of 20 (10 hearts), so watch out for falling compressed Sand or Gravel landing on you.
Compressed Sand, Red Sand, and Gravel blocks obey gravity just like their vanilla counterparts. Placing them without support will cause them to fall, and they can deal up to 10 hearts of damage if they land on you. Be careful when building with these materials.
Compression Tier Values
| 1x Compressed | 9 blocks |
| 2x Compressed | 81 blocks |
| 3x Compressed | 729 blocks |
| 4x Compressed | 6,561 blocks |
| 5x Compressed | 59,049 blocks |
| 6x Compressed | 531,441 blocks |
| 7x Compressed | 4,782,969 blocks |
| 8x Compressed | 43,046,721 blocks |
| 9x Compressed | 387,420,489 blocks |
Smelting Recipes
AllTheCompressed includes smelting recipes that preserve compression tiers. Compressed Cobblestone can be smelted into compressed Stone at the same tier, and compressed Sand (or Red Sand) smelts into compressed Glass at the same tier. This means you can smelt a 5x Cobblestone Block directly into a 5x Stone Block without decompressing first, which saves enormous amounts of fuel and time.
Tier-Preserving Smelting
Smelting a single 5x Compressed Cobblestone Block into 5x Compressed Stone Block is equivalent to smelting 59,049 Cobblestone one at a time. Always compress first, then smelt. This is especially powerful for Glass production from Sand.
Practical Uses
The primary purpose of AllTheCompressed is storage management. In heavily modded ATM packs with quarries, void miners, and automated processing, raw materials accumulate far faster than you can use them. Without compression, your storage system fills up and either stops working or starts voiding materials. Compressing common materials like Cobblestone, Dirt, and low-tier metals keeps your system running smoothly.
Compressed blocks also work well as portable storage. A single stack of 3x Compressed Iron Blocks contains 46,656 Iron Blocks (or 419,904 Iron Ingots). Carry that in your inventory and you have enough Iron for practically any building project. The same logic applies to any material you frequently use in large quantities.
Some players use compressed blocks as decorative building materials. Each compression tier has a distinct texture overlay that makes it visually different from the base block, giving you additional palette options for builds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AllTheCompressed work outside of ATM modpacks?
Yes, but with limitations. The vanilla Minecraft blocks (39 types) work in any Forge modpack. The AllTheOres and All The Mods material blocks require those mods to be installed. If those mods are not present, those specific compressed blocks simply won't appear.
Can I use compressed blocks in crafting recipes from other mods?
No. Compressed blocks are their own items and won't substitute for the original block in other recipes. A 1x Compressed Cobblestone is not the same as Cobblestone for crafting purposes. You need to decompress back to the original block first.
How do I automate compression with Applied Energistics 2 or Refined Storage?
Create crafting patterns for each compression tier. Set a pattern for 9x Base Block → 1x Block 1x, then 9x Block 1x → 1x Block 2x, and so on. Use a level emitter or crafter manager to trigger compression when a material exceeds a certain count. This keeps storage clean automatically.
Do compressed blocks have different blast resistance at higher tiers?
No. All compressed blocks share the same hardness of 7.0 and blast resistance of 20.0, regardless of tier or material. A 1x Compressed Dirt Block is exactly as tough as a 9x Compressed Diamond Block.
Can I smelt compressed blocks?
Only certain blocks have smelting recipes. Compressed Cobblestone smelts into compressed Stone at the same tier, and compressed Sand or Red Sand smelts into compressed Glass. Other compressed blocks cannot be smelted.
What happens if I break a compressed block without Silk Touch?
Compressed blocks drop themselves when broken, regardless of the tool used or enchantments. You do not need Silk Touch to pick them up, and they will never decompress when broken.